The Department of Health (DOH) said it was studying the saliva-based COVID-19 tests being used by the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) for its accuracy.

In a DZMM interview on Friday, October 23, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director General Eric Domingo said that a health technology assessment of the DOH was checking if the saliva tests have the same accuracy as the nasopharyngeal swab.

Like the nasopharyngeal swab, saliva tests also undergo the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique, which is the gold standard for COVID-19 testing. (READ: FAST FACTS: What’s the difference between PCR, rapid antibody tests)

“Gumagamit din po siya ng PCR test, imbes na nasopharyngeal swab ang kinukuha po ay laway… Mas mabilis po siya,” Domingo said. (It will also use the PCR test, but saliva will be used instead of the nasopharyngeal swab.)

If it gets DOH approval, the saliva test would be safer compared to swab test as physical contact would be limited, said Domingo.

“Mas safe ng kaunti kasi ‘di na ‘yung taong malapitan na nagdudutdut ng swab, pagkatapos ‘yung chance na ubuhin o kaya mapahatsing habang sina-swab mababawasan dahil wala nang ipinapasok sa ilong,” Domingo explained.

(It’s a bit safer because a health worker won’t need to collect a swab from a patient. The chance that patient would cough or sneeze would be reduced. )

In August, the FDA in the United States issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) to the Yale School of Public Health to utilize the SalivaDirect test kit to test persons suspected of having COVID-19.

“It is ideal for large-scale testing and offers a number of advantages over traditional testing methods,” an article from Yale said. – Rappler.com